Former President Bill Clinton said Tuesday that Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell’s opposition to raising the minimum wage is reason enough for Kentuckians to replace the five-term incumbent with Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, a longtime Clinton family friend.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared before Kentucky’s most influential agricultural group on Saturday to explain his vote against a proposed new farm bill, saying the legislation had been overtaken by a too-generous food stamp program that overshadows actual farm policy.

A group of House Republicans planning Senate campaigns next year took different bets on a bill in Congress ending a government shutdown and avoiding a default. For some, a general election loomed large while for others, the vote was a matter of competing for conservative primary voters.

A conservative group is launching a radio ad challenging Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell to oppose any money for President Barack Obama’s health care law even if it means triggering a government shutdown.